Cranes from German company Liebherr-Werk Biberach are playing a central role in the construction of the world’s largest shopping mall – the 5.7 million sq ft Dubai Mall.

Contractors working on the project are relying on a fleet of 29 Liebherr tower cranes for craneage duties during the construction of this exclusive mall. The Liebherr tower cranes are being used for a variety of round-the-clock lifting duties including striking and repositioning formwork, rebar and concrete.
Joint-venture contractor Dutco Balfour-Beatty-Al Ghandi and Consolidated Contractors International started work on the massive Dubai Mall project in 2004 on behalf of Emaar Properties. Covering an area the equivalent of 50 international-sized soccer pitches, the mall is expected to attract around 35 million visitors in its first full year of business. The project will form a cornerstone on the development containing the Burj Dubai, which on completion in 2008 will be the world’s tallest building.
Designed by Singapore’s DP Architects, the mega project will cover a total area of more than 12 million sq ft comprising more than 1,200 individual shops bringing together the widest range of brands and products within each retail category. Some of the major attractions include a 12 m-high aquarium featuring a glass ‘walk-through’ tunnel, an underwater discovery centre on the second level of the mall and an Olympic-size hockey rink. The mall will also include parking for 14,000 cars. The project is expected to be completed in 2008.

Craneage
The crane models being used on the project include Liebherr 180 EC-H10, 200 EC-H10 and the 280 EC-H12 with one of each being recently purpose-delivered by local distributor INMA,” says Hans-Martin Frech, spokesperson for Liebherr.
“The latest 280 EC-H12 incorporates Liebherr’s Litronic system facilitating up to 20 per cent higher load capacity at the touch of a button. The Liebherr 280 EC-H12 offers a lifting capacity of 2.8 tonnes at the maximum jib length of 75 m and a maximum capacity of 12 tonnes, the 180 EC-H10 and 200 EC-H10 offer a maximum lifting capacity of 10 tonnes,” he adds.